District Clerk's Office

Honorable Annie Rebecca Elliott, Fort Bend County District Clerk

Attention: NOTICE OF NEW FEE

Effective September 1, 2017, a $5.00 fee shall be collected on the filing of any
civil action or proceeding requiring a filing fee, including an appeal, and on the filing
of any Counterclaim, Cross-Action, Intervention, Interpleader, or Third Party Action
requiring a filing fee, pursuant to Senate Bill No. 42; Chapter 51, Government
Code is amended by adding Subchapter N – Additional Filing Fee for Judicial
and Court Personnel Training.

Mission Statement
Direct business activities to provide first class service to our customers; contribute to the welfare of county government through efficient, cost-effective management; maximize customer satisfaction by meeting customer expectations; maximize employee participation in management decisions; and ensure that we are first class public servants.

About the District Clerk's Office
The District Clerk's Office is an integral part of the function of the district courts as provided by Article 5, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution. The district clerk performs the Constitutional duties as registrar, recorder, and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments, and papers that are part of any legal cause of action in any district court. Fort Bend County Consists of:

7 District Courts

5 Associate Judges

Attorney General Court

CPS Cluster Court

Sanctions Court

The clerk's office is the nerve center of the district courts, the link between the courts and the people, as well as the heart of a large network that provides vital information to other agencies and offices.

One important duty of the clerk is the managing and summoning of jurors for all of the District, County, and Justice Courts, as well as the Grand Jury. Persons are summoned for petit jury service from a computerized tape that consists of the names of registered voters and persons having a Texas Driver License or identification card. Names are randomly selected from the tape and the list is reconstituted every two years.

Case filed and disposed with the District Clerk's Office from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2017 are as follows:

Filed

Disposed

Civil

13,127

13,751

Family

15,343

15,397

Criminal

6,789

6,982

The District Clerk is a fee officer. The majority of civil legal filings require a fee or the filing of an Affidavit of Inability to Pay. From January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2017 , this office collected over $5,485,613.51 in fees. Court costs are collected for other county departments such as the cost for service of process by the sheriff or constables. This office also collects fines levied by the courts in criminal cases.

Some of the other ministerial duties that the district clerk performs are: